Folding washstand.



W. R. MONTGOMERY.

FOLDING WASHSTAND.

APPLICATION FILED JULY24. 1915.

1,1 88,973. Patented June 27, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- 24 Z7 Z7 Witnesses 4 i Attorneya W. R. MONTGOMERY.FOLDING WASHSTAND.

, APPLICATION FILED JULY24. 1915. 1,188,973. Patented June 27,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I wzz Witnesseg Inventor ven m UNTTED %TATE% PAENT@FFTQE.

WALTER It. Tv'IONTGOlVIERY, OF SHREVEPORILOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-NINTH TO T. E. WHITE, ONE-NINTH. TO W. F. HONELL,'AND FOUR-NINTHSTOC. W. EDWARDS, ALL OF WEBSTER, LOUISIANA, AND ONE-NINTH T0 W. T.MARSHALL AND ONE- NINTH TO 0. D. NELSON, BOTH OF GADDO, LOUISIANA.

FOLDING WASHSTAND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. Monreorn ERY, a citizen of the .UnitedStates, residing at Shreveport, in the parish of Caddo and State ofLouisiana, have invented a new and useful Folding Washstand, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to folding furniture of the samegeneral character as the folding cabinet and'bufl'et disclosed in myco-pending applications, Serial Nos. 41,695 and 4L1,696, respectively,filed on even date herewith.

The invention has for its object the provision'of a folding 0rcollapsible washstand of inexpensive and light construction, which maybe compactly folded for storage or transportation, and which may bereadily erected for use, the present structure having novel features ofconstruction to enhance the utility and efiiciency thereof, whereby thewashstand may be readily folded and erected, and when erected will bethoroughly substantial and convenient. v

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a front view'of the improved washstand. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof, illustrating the top and towel rack folded in dottedlines. Fig. 3 is a top view of the washstand with the top and towel rackfolded. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on'the line H of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. Fig. 6 is anenlarged top view of the washstand in folded position. Fig. 7 is anenlarged perspective view of one of the members for hinging the towelrack to the top. Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of themembers used for hinging the partition.

'The body'of the washstand embodiesa front wall 1 constructed of wood orother Specification of Letters Patent. Paptg t d J 27 191 Applicationfiled July 24, 1915.

Serial No. 41,697.

suitable material and having legs 2, and rearwardly projecting flanges 3along its upright s1de edges. The front wall 1 has a palr of uprlght'door openings 4; which are normally closed by doors 5 having theirremote edges hinged to the front wall. The upper and lower ends of thedoors 5 are provided with outstanding dowels or pins 6 ad acent theirremote edges which pivotally engage the front wall, to hinge the doors5, and the front wall is provided with an uprlght stile or bar 7 betweenthe openings 41.- and doors 5.

The body of the washstand embodies side walls 8 hinged to the flanges 3,and to this end, strlps 9 are secured to the ends of the flanges. 3 andproject therefrom, and the ends of the side walls 8 are provided withoutstanding dowels or pins 10 adjacent the forward rounded edges of theside walls 8 and which dowels l0 pivotally engage the pro ectingportions of the strips 9. The side walls 8 can be swung inwardly andforwardly toward one another and toward the front wall when folding thewashstand.

The back ofv the body is formed by a sheet 11 of canvas, duck or otherflexible fabric or material, and the edges of said sheet are secured inany suitable manner to the rear edges of the side walls 8, whereby whenthe side walls are separated and swung to normal position, the sheet 11will be held taut therebetween. The sheet 11 is preferably coated orprovided with an insect repelling paint or substance to prevent attackby insects, rodents and the like. i

The bottom 13 of the body is normally disposed between the lower ends ofthe side walls 8, and is hingedly connected with the front wall, thefront edge ofthe bottom 13 being disposed between the flanges 3 and theends of the bottom 13 having outstanding dowels or pins 14 adjacent theforward edge of the bottom 13 which dowels pivotally engage the flanges3. Cleats 15 are secured to the inner sidesof the side walls 12 wherebywhen the bottom 13 is swung between the side walls it will seat upon thecleats 15.

An upper shelf 16 is disposed within the body of the washstand and isnormally disposed between the side walls, and the forward edge of theshelf 16 is hingedly connected with the front wall, similar to thebottom 13. The ends of the shelf 16 have outstanding dowels or pins 17adjacent the front edge of the shelf 16 which pivotally engage theflanges 3.

An upright partition 18 is disposed between the bottom 13 and shelf 16,and has its forward edge hingedly connected to the front wall, and tothis end an upright or vertical rearwardly projecting rib 19 is carriedby or secured to the rear side of the stile or bar 7, and strips 20 aresecured to the upper and lower ends of the partition 18 and projectbeyond the forward edge thereof to pivotally engage the pivot elements21 secured to the ends of the rib or tongue 19. The rib 19 has a curvedface around which the respective edge of the partition 18 is movablewhen the said partition is swung. The bottom 13 carries a spring catch22 adjacent its rear edge and between its ends whereby when thepartition 18 is swung into normal position, it moves past the catch 22to be held against return movement by said catch, although the catch 22may be manually released or depressed to allow the partition 19 to beswung against the front wall in folding the washstand.

The shelf 16 provides a compartment thereabove, and the partition 19provides two side compartments below the shelf 16, and one of thecompartments or chambers formed by the partition 19 is divided 05 by ashelf 23. This shelf 23 is hingedly con nected to the front wall, and tothis end, the shelf 23 is provided with outstanding dowels or lugs 24adjacent its forward edge pivotally and slidably engaging in shortupright or vertical grooves 25 provided in the adjacent sides of the rib19 and the respec tive flange 3. Cleats 26 are securedto the partition18 and the respective side wall 8 v whereby when the shelf 23 is swungtherebetween it is seatable upon the cleats 26 to be supported thereby.When the washstand is folded or collapsed, the shelf 23 can be swungupwardly and forwardly between the rib or flange 19 and the respectiveflange 3 and may then be slid downwardly therebetweenso as not to swingagainst or interfere with the shelf 16.

The top 27 of the washstand is normally seated upon the front and sidewalls, and is slidably and pivotally connected with the front wall bymeans of rods 28 between the ends of the top and extending from thefront edge to the rear edge thereof, the terminals of the rods 28 beingsecured to the front and rear edges of the top. and the body portions ofsaid rods being spaced below or from the lower surface of the top Theupper end of the front wall is provided with a pair of open slots 29slidably receiving the rods 28, and Staples or other members 30 aresecured to the upper end of the front wall so as to bridge or span theslots 29, the cross members 30 being disposed between the rods 28 andthe top 27. This serves to slidably connect the top with the upper endof the front wall. The rear end portions of the rods 28 are providedwith U-shaped bends or loops 31 projecting or depending from the rearedge of the top 27. Thus, when the top 27 is slid forwardly and when therear edge of the top reaches the upper end of the front wall, the top 27can be swung downwardly in front of the front wall, since the loops orbends 31 remain in the slots 29 in engagement with the cross members 30to pivotally connect the rear edge of the top with the upper end of thefront wall and thus allow the top to be swung downwardly withoutdetaching the top. In erecting the washstand, the top can beswung'upwardly to a horizontal position and may then be readily slidrearwardly onto the side walls.

The rear edge of the top 27 carries a towel rack or frame 32 which haslower edge hingedly connected to the rear edge of the top 27, plates ormembers 33 being attached to the ends of the rack 32 adjacent the loweredge thereof and having forwardly projecting tongues 34 extending alongthe ends of the top 27 from the rear edge thereof toward the front edge.The tongues 34 have longitudinal slots 35 therein through which screwsor other securing elements 36 are engaged, said screws or elements beingrigidly engaged to the ends of the top 27 at points spaced forwardlyfrom the rear edge of the top,

When the washstand is erected thera k 32 seats upon the top 27 and thetongues 34 extending forwardly from the lower edge of the rack 32 andpivotally engaging the elements 36 will prevent the rack 32 fromswinging forwardly or'rearwardly out of vertical position. In otherwords, the center of gravity of the rack32 is in rear o f the' pivotalpoint thereof,whereby the rack will seat upon the top without danger offa'll 7 ing over. The rack32 can be swung against the top 27 however,and the slots 35 of the tongues 34 receiving the elements 36 will permitthe rack 32 to be moved flatly against the top 27, as illustrated inFig.4.

The upper end of the sheet 11 is detachably engageable with the rearedge of the top 27 and to this end, the rear edge of the top is providedwith buttons 37 withwhich the upper end of thesheet is detachablyengageable. When the sheet is engaged with the buttons 37, the upper endof the sheet will be held in place, and furthermore, the sheet will holdthe top 27 down uponthe side walls 8.

When the washstand is erected, the bottom 13 and shelf 16 being swungrearwardly and downwardly between theside walls will serve to holdthe'side walls separated and to hold the sheet 11 taut. The partition 19is swung rearwardly parallel with the side walls, and the shelf 16 seatsthereon to be supported thereby. The shelf 23 being swung between thepartition 19 and the respective side wall 8 will prevent the partition19 from swinging in one direction, and the partition is prevented fromswinging in the other direction by the catch 22.

In folding the washstand, the partition 19 is swung against the frontwall after the catch 22 is released, and the bottom 13 and shelves 16and 23 are then swung upwardly into compact relation with the frontwall, the partition being shifted downwardly so as not to interfere withthe shelf 16. The upper end of the sheet 11 is then detached from thetop 27, and the top 27 may then be slid forwardly and swung downwardlyagainst the front side of the front wall, the rack 32 being swungagainst the top 27. The side walls 8 are then swung toward one anotherand toward the front wall, the sheet 11 being folded therewith. Thestructure will then be in compact arrangement to be readily stored orshipped. The washstand may be readily erected or unfolded as willbeobvious from the foregoing taken in connection with the drawings.

The advantages of the invention are many, most of which will suggestthemselves without lengthy comment being necessary. The washstand iscomparatively simple in construction, reducing the cost of manufacturethereof, and the washstand is not of the knock-down type, that is, itdoes not comprise a number of independent parts, which must be assembledand attached, since all of the parts are attached and need only be swungor moved into position in erecting the washstand. The washstand may becompactly folded, which reduces the freight or shipping expense, andwhich is of advan tags for other reasons. When the structure is unfoldedor set up it will be firm in construction, and can be used like anordinary washstand.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A folding article of furniture, comprising a front wall, side wallshinged thereto, a bottom hinged to the front wall, a shelf hinged to thefront wall, the bottom and shelf being adapted to be swung between theside walls, the side walls having means to support the bottom, and apartition hinged to the front wall between the side walls and adapted tobe swung between the bottom and shelf, the partition holding the bottomin place and the shelf resting on the partition and fitting between theside walls. I

2. In a folding article of furniture, a front wall having rearwardlyprojecting flanges at its side edges and a rearwardly projecting ribbetween said flanges, side walls hinged to said flanges, a bottom havingits forward edge portion hingedly engaged to said flanges, a shelfhaving its forward edge portion hingedly engaged to said flanges, a

partition hinged to said rib, the bottom and shelf being adapted to beswung between the side walls, and the partition being adapted to beswung between the bottom and shelf, and a second shelf having itsforward edge portion hingedly engaged to said rib and one of saidflanges and adapted to be swung betlween the partition and therespective side wa l.

3. In a folding article of furniture, a top, a member seatable thereonin an upstanding position and having forwardly projecting tonguespivotally and slidably engaged with the top.

4. In a folding article of furniture, a top, a frame seatable in anupstanding position upon the top and having forwardly projecting tonguesextending along the ends of the top and provided with slots, the tophaving elements engaging in said slots.

5. In a folding article of furniture, a front wall, a pair of verticalmembers hinged thereto to swing thereagainst, and shelves pivotallyconnected with the front wall to swing thereagainst, one of said shelvesbeing slidably connected with the front wall to allow said shelves tofold snugly against the front wall.

6. In a folding article of furniture, a front wall having rearwardlyprojecting flanges, vertical members hinged to said flanges to swingagainst the front wall, and shelves pivotally connected with saidflanges and adapted to be swung against the front Wall, one of saidshelves being slidably connected with the respective flanges to enablethe shelves to be swung snugly against the front wall.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WALTER R. MONTGOMERY.

WVitnesses:

IVY E. SIMPSON, PHILOMENA A. RooKELLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

